This application is based on application Nos. 2000-058874 and 2000-064706 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network photo-print service system which takes orders for photo-prints from customers through a network and carries out print output services in accordance with the orders.
2. Description of the Background Art
A network photo-print service system, which takes orders for photo-prints from customers through a network and carries out print output services in accordance with the orders, has been proposed.
Such a network photo-print service system has advantages in that it is possible to take orders through a network and that customers need not go to a store to place orders.
However, with respect to receiving processes of prints that are outputted in accordance with the orders, those processes fail to sufficiently meet the various demands from the customers and tend to be inefficient.
Moreover, with respect to the contents of printing processes in the photo-prints, various kinds of processes, such as a normal-size process, a process having a size larger than the normal-size or a process accompanying a special digital image processing, has been carried out.
However, since a general purpose print output device capable of executing all kinds of printing processes is expensive, it would raise a problem of costs, etc., to distribute such general purpose devices to many shops as the print output devices for executing the above-mentioned printing processes.
Moreover, with respect to the contents of orders, for example, an actual situation is that orders for normal-size prints account for a considerable rate, while orders for the other-size prints are very few; therefore, it has been demanded to construct an efficient system that meets such an actual situation.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, a center server, which is used in a network photo-print service system that takes an order for photo-prints from a customer through the network and provides a print output service in response to the order, is provided with a receiver for receiving print order information related to a print order and information related to conditions for a delivery site for prints, outputted in response to the order from the customer through the network; a memory for storing information of a plurality of shops capable of delivering the prints; a selector for extracting a delivery-shop candidate group suitable for the conditions for a delivery site for prints from the plurality of shops capable of delivering the prints based upon the information stored in the memory; a transmitter for transmitting information related to the delivery-shop candidate group extracted by the selector to the customer; and a controller which, in response to selection by the customer, determines a suitable delivery shop from the delivery-shop candidate group and transmits the print order information to a print output device placed in the delivery shop thus determined.
With this arrangement, the customer can readily receive ordered prints at a delivery shop that the customer has determined in accordance with his or her needs; thus, it is possible to provide a convenient service.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the center server has an arrangement in which the print order information has image data that is a subject for the print output process, data related to the contents of the print output process and customer identification data for identifying the customer. Here, the center server also has an arrangement in which the print order information has image specifying data for specifying image data stored in a predetermined server as a subject image for the print output process, data related to the contents of the print output process and customer identification data for identifying the customer.
Since the above-mentioned print order information includes customer identification data, it is possible to improve reliability in the transaction.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, the center server has an arrangement in which the print order information includes at least data related to the contents of the printing process, the center server further includes a judging section for judging whether the printing process relates to a first printing process that is outputted by a first print output device or a second printing process that is outputted by a second print output device; and the controller, in the case when the judgment by the judging section shows that the printing process is the first printing process, transmits the print order information to the first print output device, and in the case when the judgment by the judging section shows that the printing process is the second printing process, transmits the print order information to the second print output device.
With this arrangement, when it is judged that the contents of a printing process relate to the first printing process, the print order information is sent to the first print output device, and when it is judged that the contents of a printing process relate to the second printing process, the print order information is sent to the second print output device; therefore, after having been properly delivered to the first print output device and the second print output device depending on the contents of printing processes, the corresponding printing processes are carried out. Consequently, it is possible to construct a system which can efficiently deal with a printing process in accordance with its contents
In accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, the center server has an arrangement in which the first print output device is placed in a delivery shop that the customer is allowed to specify as the print delivery site, and the controller transmits the print order information to the first print output device placed in the delivery shop specified by the customer as the print delivery site.
With this arrangement when it is judged that the contents of a printing process relate to the first printing process, the print order information is sent to the first print output device that is placed at a delivery shop that has been specified by the customer as a print receiving place; therefore, the customer can readily receive the resulting print outputted by the first print output device at the delivery shop specified by the customer, making the system more convenient.
In accordance with the fifth aspect of the present invention, the center server has an arrangement in which the second print output device is placed in a non-delivery store that the customer is not allowed to specify as the print delivery site, and the controller transmits the print order information to the second print output device placed in the non-delivery shop.
With this arrangement, when it is judged that the contents of a print process relate to the second print process, the print order information and information relate to the delivery shop are sent to the second print output device placed in a non-delivery shop; thereafter, the resulting print outputted from the second print output device therein is transferred to the delivery shop, thereby allowing the customer to receive the corresponding print at the delivery shop.
The first objective of the present invention is to provide a network photo-print service system capable of achieving convenient services so as to meet the customers"" demands, and related techniques for such a system.
Moreover, the second objective of the present invention is to provide an efficient network photo-print service system which can be constructed at low costs and related techniques for such a system.